Rampage in Port Charles

Heather confessed to the hook slayings, but is she the real killer? Is Esme's decision to name her son Ace a sign that her memories are returning, or is there something else going on? Will Curtis ever forgive Portia? Will Joss be able to keep Dex's secrets, or will she be his undoing? Let's find out in this week's Two Scoops.

Ryan Chamberlain is dead. No, really. He's dead-dead, not potentially-back-from-the-dead-sometime-in-the-future-dead. Ava clipped him in the shoulder, and Mac finished the job with a single bullet to the heart. Ryan's final words to Mac -- "It had to be you" -- echoed my own. If you follow me on Twitter, you know I was really rooting for Ryan to die. It was time. He should have been killed off the last time he ran amok in Port Charles and ended up trapped in his body.

Ryan was a serial killer and evil to the core, an absolutely divine soap villain who was masterfully portrayed by Jon Lindstrom. During his reign of terror, Ryan did some truly heinous things to the women he was obsessed with, and he brutally murdered dozens of people. No one was safe from Ryan's diabolical intentions, including Esme. It was fitting that Mac felled Ryan, not just because Mac was everything that Ryan wasn't, but because Mac had had a front row seat to Ryan's carnage over the years.

Good conquered evil, as it should.

I thought the scenes on the northwest corner of the island were a perfect ending for Ryan, but I was a bit confused. Were the writers implying that Mac covered for Ava in some way? Was Ava afraid that Mac would reveal that she went after Ryan with the intention of killing him? So what? It doesn't matter, since Mac fired the fatal shot.

And what about Nikolas' body? What is going on with that? How are the police crawling all over the island, and no one has stumbled across the room in the stables with the bloated, rotting corpse? By now, vultures should be circling above the stables.

I was stunned to see Ava back at the hospital the next morning, hoping to visit Austin, instead of at home, digging a deep grave for Nikolas far inside a cave or one of the infamous tunnels. Instead, she made her way to the nursery to let Spencer know that Ryan was behind everything, which somehow seemed to absolve Nikolas of wrongdoing in both Ava and Spencer's eyes. The writing was heavy-handed, especially when Spencer went from spitting nails at the mention of Nikolas' name to practically weeping at the thought of never seeing his father again.

While I'm happy that Spencer is over his anger at Nikolas, I don't get it. Whether it was Ryan's idea or not, Nikolas chose to sleep with Esme. Yes, Esme seduced him -- and it was entirely her idea, not Ryan's -- but Nikolas was not an unwilling participant. It also doesn't change the fact that Nikolas ultimately turned the tables on Esme and kept her imprisoned in the north tower.

I'm really hoping that when Austin and Ava finally get around to going to the chupacabra room to collect Nikolas' body that it will be gone. I want Nikolas to return, and I want Nikolas and Spencer to have real resolution and an opportunity to repair their fractured relationship. Ava and Nikolas, not so much. If Ava had truly believed her attack on Nikolas had been justified, she wouldn't have covered it up.

I love Ava, but I can't defend what she did. That's why it's crucial for Nikolas to return. I don't want this murder hanging over her head. Even if the police find the body and it's assumed that Ryan killed Nikolas in a jealous rage, the viewing audience will know the truth. And the truth is -- despite what Ava told Ryan -- he did not drive Ava to attack Nikolas. She struck Nikolas in a moment of rage because he had threatened to use his Cassadine resources to snatch Avery.

That is on Ava, not on Ryan.

Austin is a bit harder to read. I'm getting a distinct dark vibe from him, and while I certainly do enjoy the chemistry between Roger Howarth and Maura West, I want to know more about what Austin is hiding. Mason hinted at some pretty bad stuff, and Austin's almost blas attitude about Nikolas' death speaks to someone who is quite familiar with untimely deaths.

I've been watching Roger since his days as Todd Manning on One Life to Live. That man can do dark like no one's business, so I'd be lying if I said I'm not hoping that the writers go there with Austin. He already shows signs of super villain stamina. That hook injury must have been gushing blood for a good hour to two before Austin received treatment at the hospital. Mere mortals would have bled out in half that time.

Now, let's talk about Heather and her confession to all the hook assaults and murders, including the one on Nikolas that Nikolas had never reported because he assumed that it was Esme.

There is a part of me that thinks/hopes there's a twist coming up. If not, then I can only assume the writers were making things up as they went along because there is no way that they started out with Heather as the Hook. It's not just the left-handed attacks versus the right-handed ones, but the fact that Heather told Ryan that she attacked Josslyn/Britt because she wanted to draw suspicion away from Esme.

Also, why save Trina and Spencer for last when they were at the root of all of Esme's grievances? Why target Ava and Diane? How did Heather find a black-market dealer in deadly reptile venom from D'Archam? The necklace with Ryan's murder trophies didn't make sense, either. How does a woman locked up in a high-security facility for the criminally insane get to wear a necklace with a lot of charms like earrings and such, especially a killer who has a reputation for escaping?

I cracked up when Jordan said that Heather's crime spree had guaranteed that Heather would never see the light of day again. Excuse me? Wasn't Heather shipped off to D'Archam for that very reason the last time she got loose? My biggest issue with Heather's confession, though, is that Heather lies so much that nothing she says is to be believed. I need more proof than Heather's confession and a bunch of people talking about her gift for escaping for me to be convinced that she was the Hook.

I don't care how good Heather is. There should be no way that Heather slipped out of D'Archam once, let alone multiple times, and returned each time after an attack.

So, are Esme's memories returning? She decided to name the baby "Ace," which suggests that those memories aren't as buried as some might hope. Top of that list appears to be Laura, bless her heart.

Something occurred to me when I watched Heather try to lay the groundwork for an insanity defense. It was a completely pointless endeavor, since Heather has been locked up in a facility for the criminally insane for years, but all that talk of fugue states made me wonder -- what if Esme has dissociative identity disorder? It would certainly give her a free pass on everything that she did to frame Trina, and even the attempted murder of Oz.

It would also explain why Esme has no memory of anything before the swan dive into the water, and why her personality is so completely different than the manipulative and devious shrew who had followed Spencer to Port Charles.

I have to be honest. I've never really been a fan of DID storylines because I always felt that soap writers took things to an unrealistic place, but in this situation, it would actually fit nicely, especially if the Good Esme is the alter personality. Imagine the ethical dilemma that doctors would face when it came time to integrate the personalities because, naturally, you would want the "good" Esme to prevail.

I don't see Esme's legal troubles going away anytime soon, so little Ace will need to go home with a next of kin, and the poor guy's options are limited. Laura actually is the most logical choice, despite what Spencer might think, because Spencer is still on parole from his own stalking conviction. Plus, Kevin is the baby's great-uncle. I just don't want Spencer to take custody of the child, mainly because I want him to enjoy being young and finding true love with Trina.

In the real world, babies don't bring people together. Babies are a lot of work, and there are many sleepless nights in those early months. Of course, Spencer can afford to hire a nanny, but that's the easy way out. Babies need love, bonding, and nurturing. If Spencer can't commit to raising that baby 100 percent, then he needs to let Kevin and Laura step in.

I love Trina, and I want to see her get the princess treatment from a real prince. We saw a glimpse of that when Spencer practically swept Trina off her feet with that romantic speech about all the ways that Trina was special, listing her wonderful attributes. I couldn't blame Trina for making the first move and kissing him. It was such a tender moment, and my heart melted when Spencer made it clear that he didn't want to rush things because she was special.

Trina deserves that, but I worry. Things are going way too well for the lovebirds, and on soap operas, that can only mean a serpent is slithering through the garden.

Meanwhile, Curtis knows everything. Portia's deep, dark secret about Trina is out, as is Jordan's role in the twisted saga. Curtis is pissed, and he made his way to the Savoy to drown his anger in booze. Curtis is focused on his pain and how he was betrayed. His pity party even had a special guest appearance when Marshall stopped by to lend a shoulder for Curtis to cry on. It didn't help. Poor, poor Curtis. I wanted to slap him.

Unlike Curtis, Taggert paid Portia a visit, spoke his mind, and heard Portia's side of things, but all the while, both his and Portia's focus was their daughter and how to help her through this difficult period. As a result, Portia and Taggert were able to find resolution, and start moving forward. Taggert is still mad, but he understands why Portia did what she did, and he assured her that he, Portia, and Trina would always be a family. It's not forgiveness, but it's definitely a step in the right direction.

Curtis, on the other hand, is wallowing in his anger. He's furious at Portia, and he's mad at Jordan because Jordan knew and didn't tell him. What Curtis fails to understand is that he divorced Jordan, which means that she no longer owes him squat. It wasn't her secret to share, and she did her very best to get Portia to come clean to him before the wedding.

How many times did Curtis make it clear that his life was no longer any of Jordan's business? Remember when he kept accusing Jordan of being in love with him and refusing to let go of their marriage even though he had moved on with Portia? Curtis has been a complete heel to Jordan, so he doesn't have the right to demand unwavering loyalty from a woman that he's shown very little to.

It burns my bacon -- and I love bacon -- that Curtis has an arrangement with Selina, but he's unable to offer the woman he loves a little grace. I'm not talking about forgiveness, but at least stop acting like a child who was told that Christmas was canceled. It would serve Curtis right if a DNA test excluded him as Trina's father, but we know that won't happen because of that genealogy test that revealed to both Stella and Trina that they each had a close relative in town.

That brings me to Josslyn and her gaggle of family.

Josslyn overheard Dex on the phone, and she now knows all about Pikeman and the plans for Dex to gather evidence to take down Sonny. Dex told her everything, except that Michael is the one who hired him.

Josslyn is an idiot if she can't put the pieces together, because who else hates Sonny as much as -- if not more than -- she does? Where did Dex turn up when he was shot helping Anna escape? Who has the money and the connections to hire someone from a private security firm? All the dots lead straight to the gatehouse and Michael.

I still don't like Dex. He's not a man of his word, he has now dragged Josslyn into a mess that is more than likely going to blow up in his face. Better men than Dex have tried and failed to take Sonny down, and many didn't live to tell the tale. Luckily for Dex, the writers seem to be full steam ahead with the Dex and Josslyn romance, so Dex will be safe until someone new strikes Josslyn's fancy.

You lose them the way you get them -- even on a soap.

It is rather disappointing, though, that Michael is still moving forward with this plan. You'd think with his bride-to-be on death's door and a new baby, he'd have different priorities. That said, Sonny sure does make it easy for Michael to cling to that fury.

Nina is a dog with a bone when it comes to Carly, and Sonny just can't stop trying to act like Nina deserves compassion because she's Willow's mother. I wonder how Sonny would feel if he'd seen his saintly Nina raging at Michael in the gatehouse about how Michael and Willow were selfish to choose the life of their daughter over the happiness of their son -- something that Nina has yet to apologize for.

If Willow had found out the truth about Nina back when Harmony died, she would have reacted the same exact way that she did when Willow was told the truth in the hospital. Nina seems to be under an illusion that she and Willow would have repaired things in just a few months, but that's just wishful thinking. There is just way too much bad blood between them for that to happen.

Willow is certainly a forgiving person, but Nina said and did horrible things to Willow long before Carly was in the picture. As much as Nina would like to blame Carly for Nina's turbulent relationship with Willow, it's just not true. Things will never get better between Nina and Willow until Nina takes full accountability for how shabbily she has treated Willow from the very start. Like it or not, Willow loves Carly, and Carly will always be a part of Willow's life and, by extension, Nina's. Carly and Nina now share two grandchildren.

Nina has to decide if it's more important to avenge herself or to make peace with her daughter. I know what I would choose.

I love Scott and Elizabeth's relationship. I really do, but I think it's time to address Audrey. Her absence in Elizabeth's reunion with Jeff and Carolyn has been glaring. Audrey has always been there for Elizabeth. Always. Even when we didn't see Audrey, we were told that she was caring for the boys when Elizabeth was unable to. She doesn't have to be seen, but she definitely needs to be mentioned.

Kevin's goodbye to Ryan was bittersweet. I was happy to see that Kevin was finally and truly free of the burden that was his brother, but sad for Kevin that he was never able to save Ryan from the evil that lived in Kevin's deadly twin. Kevin tried. Oh, how he tried.

Why were there paintings on the walls of the Jerome Gallery if it's closed for business? Also, how did Trina get in without Ava being alerted that the alarm had been randomly deactivated?

Why are the newborn babies so big on this show? It's downright distracting. Esme's son looked like he was about to crawl out of that bassinet they had him squeezed into.

The thing that bothers me about Stella's involvement and telling Trina about Portia's secret is that there is no proof. None. Just Jordan's theory. Portia never confirmed anything. And Taggert could very well be Trina's father after all. Stella destroyed a family over a hunch. -- FleurdiLisa

Spencer has a bad combination of anger management issues, and poor impulse control. He needs to learn that, just because he CAN say or do something, doesn't mean he SHOULD say or do it. Trina scolded him like an unruly child, and yet it's Spencer who's planning on petitioning the court for custody of his father's love child. Oh, well. I guess in the long history of GH, there must've been SOMEONE who was less prepared to be a first-time parent than Spencer, but it's hard to think of one. Carly, maybe. -- Scrimmage

Maggie claims not to know who Esme's mother is. Ryan and Heather seem to believe Heather is. I still want proof. Even Maggie knew there was no proof that Ryan is Esme's father. Esme was desperate to believe she had found her father. Apparently any father would do at the time. I still wonder if Ryan played her. -- Leslie

What are your thoughts on last week's General Hospital? Do you agree or disagree with anything that I've shared in this week's column? I love hearing from everyone and reading your thoughts, so drop me a comment in the Comments section below. You can also join us over on the message boards for even more conversation!

Tamilu will be back here next week. You can catch her this week writing her first regular Two Scoops column for The Young and the Restless.

Take care and happy viewing,Liz Masters

What are your thoughts on General Hospital? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.